One type of memory is resistive memory. Resistive memory utilizes the resistance value of a memory element to store one or more bits of data. For example, a memory element programmed to have a high resistance value may represent a logic “1” data bit value, and a memory element programmed to have a low resistance value may represent a logic “0” data bit value. The resistance value of the memory element is switched electrically by applying a voltage pulse or a current pulse to the memory element. One type of resistive memory is phase change memory. Phase change memory uses a phase change material for the resistive memory element.
Phase change memories are based on phase change materials that exhibit at least two different states. Phase change material may be used in memory cells to store bits of data. The states of phase change material may be referred to as amorphous and crystalline states. The states may be distinguished because the amorphous state generally exhibits higher resistivity than does the crystalline state. Generally, the amorphous state involves a more disordered atomic structure, while the crystalline state involves a more ordered lattice. Some phase change materials exhibit more than one crystalline state, e.g. a face-centered cubic (FCC) state and a hexagonal closest packing (HCP) state. These two crystalline states have different resistivities and may be used to store bits of data. In the following description, the amorphous state generally refers to the state having the higher resistivity, and the crystalline state generally refers to the state having the lower resistivity.
Phase change in the phase change materials may be induced reversibly. In this way, the memory may change from the amorphous state to the crystalline state and from the crystalline state to the amorphous state in response to temperature changes. The temperature changes to the phase change material may be achieved by driving current through the phase change material itself, or by driving current through a resistive heater adjacent the phase change material. With both of these methods, controllable heating of the phase change material causes controllable phase change within the phase change material.
A phase change memory including a memory array having a plurality of memory cells that are made of phase change material may be programmed to store data utilizing the memory states of the phase change material. One way to read and write data in such a phase change memory device is to control a current and/or a voltage pulse that is applied to the phase change material. The level of current and/or voltage generally corresponds to the temperature induced within the phase change material in each memory cell.
To achieve higher density phase change memories, a phase change memory cell can store multiple bits of data. Multi-bit storage in a phase change memory cell can be achieved by programming the phase change material to have intermediate resistance values or states. Cells in such intermediate states have a resistance that lies between the fully crystalline state and the fully amorphous state. If the phase change memory cell is programmed to one of three different resistance levels, 1.5 bits of data per cell can be stored. If the phase change memory cell is programmed to one of four different resistance levels, two bits of data per cell can be stored. If the phase change memory cell is programmed to one of eight resistance levels, three bits of data per cell can be stored. If the phase change memory cell is programmed to one of 16 resistance levels, four bits of data per cell can be stored, and so on.
Typically, there is a wide distribution of resistance values of a phase change memory cell in the two or more resistance states. The time to read the value of a phase change memory cell may be significantly long due to the high resistance of the amorphous state or intermediate states of the phase change material. This significantly long read time leads to slow overall memory operation.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.